Euro Economy » 2012 » September

The Irish loophole behind Apple's low tax bill

By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - Apple's ability to shelter billions of dollars of income from tax has depended on an unusual loophole in the Irish tax code that helps the country compete with other countries for investment and jobs. A U.S. Senate investigation revealed Tuesday that Apple, maker of iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, channeled profits into Irish-incorporated subsidiaries that had "no declared tax residency anywhere in the world. ...

Prosecutors consider using racketeering law against SAC: source

By Emily Flitter NEW YORK (Reuters) - Prosecutors are considering charging Steven A. Cohen's SAC Capital Advisors as a criminal enterprise engaged in a long pattern of insider trading in stocks, according to a person familiar with the matter. Prosecutors may use the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, most commonly associated with prosecutions against the mafia, to move against Cohen's $15 billion hedge fund company, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity. While this is one option under consideration, no final decision has been made, the source added. ...

Exclusive: Bob Lutz, Chinese in bid to buy Fisker Automotive - sources

By Deepa Seetharaman DETROIT (Reuters) - A boutique carmaker led by former General Motors Co executive Bob Lutz and China's largest auto parts supplier made an offer this month to buy cash-strapped "green" car company Fisker Automotive, people familiar with the matter said. VL Automotive and China's Wanxiang Group are looking to gain control of Fisker through a prepackaged bankruptcy. This comes alongside a separate push by investors in Europe and Hong Kong, including billionaire Richard Li, to buy out the U.S. Department of Energy's position in Fisker. ...

Dow, S&P end at records on Fed officials' reassurance

By Angela Moon NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Tuesday, with the Dow and the S&P 500 closing at new all-time highs as Federal Reserve officials' comments eased some concerns that the central bank could start reducing its stimulus program. Dow component Home Depot gave the market a lift after the world's largest home improvement chain raised its profit outlook, driving its stock to a record intraday high. JPMorgan also bolstered the Dow, rising more than 1 percent to a 52-week high after the bank's chief executive won a vote of confidence from shareholders. ...

Merck signs $5 billion share buyback agreement with Goldman Sachs

(Reuters) - Merck & Co Inc said it has entered into a $5 billion share repurchase agreement with Goldman Sachs Group Inc, as the drug giant looks to prop up shareholder value in face of stiff competition from makers of less-costly generics. Under the accelerated share repurchase agreement (ASR), Merck has agreed to repurchase about 99.5 million shares from Goldman Sachs based on current market prices. ...

Dimon clings to JPMorgan chairman title, after fight

By David Henry TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - Jamie Dimon, chairman and chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co took an unusual step to fight off investors seeking more oversight of his activities - he hinted he might quit. And it worked. At the bank's annual meeting on Tuesday, JPMorgan shareholders voted down a proposal to strip Dimon of his chairmanship, giving the measure even less support than last year. Investors showed some unhappiness with the bank's management by only barely re-electing three directors who oversaw a massive trading loss last year. ...

Apple CEO makes no apology for company's tax strategy

By Patrick Temple-West and Kevin Drawbaugh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook made no apology on Tuesday for the iPad maker saving billions of dollars in U.S. taxes through Irish subsidiaries and told lawmakers that his company backs corporate tax reform, even though it may end up paying more. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has found that Apple in 2012 alone avoided paying $9 billion in U.S. taxes, using a strategy involving three offshore units with no discernible tax home, or "residence. ...

Japan exports disappoint, full benefits of weak yen yet to show

By Tetsushi Kajimoto TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's exports rose less than expected in April from a year earlier due to weak demand from Europe and China, highlighting the challenges confronting the world's third-biggest economy as policymakers try to engineer a sustained revival. The 3.8 percent annual increase in exports in April was below the median estimate for a 5.9 percent rise and followed a 1.1 percent increase in the year to March. The result also underscores the limitations of a weak yen in bolstering the trade sector, especially as external headwinds crimp demand for exports. ...

Scandal or not, one SAC investor can't get enough of Steve Cohen

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Sam Forgione BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - As federal prosecutors circle Steven A. Cohen's $15 billion hedge fund in a long-running insider trading probe, one financial adviser in Texas is so devoted to the billionaire investor that he may give him more money. "I'm thinking about putting more money with him," said Ed Butowsky, managing director at Chapwood Capital Investment Management, who manages $1 billion in client money. ...

Sony shares hit two-year high on report of spin-off proposal

TOKYO (Reuters) - Shares of Sony Corp rose 6.3 percent to 2,300 yen, a two-year high, on Wednesday after the Nikkei newspaper reported Sony is considering evaluating a proposal from top shareholder Third Point LLC to spin off its movie and music business. (Reporting by Dominic Lau; Editing by Paul Tait)